


Hand-Me-Down(s)

by Czaritsa (RomaStache)



Series: Red Velvet Reel [11]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slice of Life, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), monster pregnancy headcanons, skelepreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2020-06-22 06:56:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19662136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomaStache/pseuds/Czaritsa
Summary: Pancake needs green magic.Edge can't produce enough green magic on his own. Stretch is biologically, physiologically, physically, and magically equipped to provide this extra magic. He's their Dad, too. And, in theory, it's super, duper easy: think healing, green magic-y thoughts, focus the magic on your hands, put them directly on the Souling, and just hold them there until Pancake decides they're done.In application... Well, there's just a whole bunch of variables that keep popping up and complicating things. But day by day, session by session, he's got this. ...Hghhhhhhhhhhhhhh. :(





	1. Green Magic Session: 1

**Author's Note:**

> The last installment for this quarter! But a lot of chapters! 
> 
> I hope this hasn't become too tedious, haha, but that's kinda the point too: having a Souling is a long time commitment with a lot of steps, lol. 
> 
> Title is a play on words: Hand-me-down because Pancake is getting 2nd hand magic, hands literally, and the (s) to denote more than one (because there's a lot more!)

Pillows? Check! Blankets? Check! Emergency snacks packed with plenty of green magic? Check! Thermostat set to a slightly warmer setting? Check!   
  
  
“Ok!” Despite all his preparations, Stretch was still filled with a nervous, restless energy that had him pacing the bedroom, “Are we good? Do we need anything else? Did we miss anything?”  
  
  
“No?” Apparently this mood was super contagious, because Edge was also looking lost and unsure. He kept folding and refolding his shirt, almost as if he was a little shy about not having it on. “I don’t think we actually _need_ any of these things.”  
  
  
“We don’t really _need_ chips and salsa, a television set, or those ballroom dance lessons a few weeks back,” Stretch waved his hand dismissively, “But they make life easier and fun! So why go without if we don’t have to?”  
  
  
He sat down next to his husband, still feeling jittery, “Ok, so, I know we’ve gone through this several times. But. _Please_ humor me one more time.”   
  
  
Stretch threw in some puppy eyes for good measure, “Would you read everything out as we go through the steps for realsies this time? I’m terrified I’m gonna mess up-“  
  
  
“You’re **_not_** going to mess up!” Edge told him firmly, but not annoyed, finally putting the shirt to the side as he opened up his PregHUD. Stretch could only sort of see from this angle, but he knew his husband was opening up the ‘Manual’ application, again.  
  
  
“Are you listening? It says: During the second quarter, as the Souling begins to develop their own magical reserves, they require more magic than the pregnant monster can provide on their own. Although this magic can come from external sources like food and sleep, most monster couples begin the process known as ‘Green Magic Sharing,’” Edge read aloud, scrolling down the page slightly. He probably could have skipped that part, but Stretch couldn’t be overly picky, “For the first few sessions, it is recommended Monster couples choose a familiar and comfortable environment that affords them privacy, such as a bedroom.” Stretch nodded to himself, looking around their bedroom- it was very familiar and he made it super comfortable with all those pillows and blankets!   
  
  
“Although couples may choose to do subsequent green magic sharing sessions in public or with friends and family,” Edge shook his head minutely at that, as though the thought never occurred to him. This was kinda intimate, yeah, but it wasn’t like it was _inappropriate_ or whatever. Like holding hands in public, but super different! For someone who _loved_ running around with his spine on display, his husband was weirdly prudish about some stuff. Maybe they could discuss it later, but Stretch was more than okay with keeping this private. “The initial sessions should be done privately to minimize discomfort or embarrassment for either parent.”  
  
  
“Ok!” Stretch stood up again, much to his husband’s grumbled annoyance, shifting from foot to foot restlessly, “Now what?”  
  
  
“First, have the pregnant parent find a comfortable position they can stay in for a long amount of time-“  
  
  
“Lay down,” Stretch gestured at the bed and mimed lying down until Edge finally complied.  
  
  
His husband got comfortable against all the pillows, finishing sulkily, “Since the first session has a variable completion time.”  
  
  
First instruction, check!  
  
  
“Second, have the non-pregnant parent find a comfortable position next to the pregnant parent where they have easy, unhindered access to the Souling.”  
  
  
“Ok!” Stretch went to the other side of the bed to avoid jostling his husband, climbing onto the covers with exaggerated care. “What’s-“  
  
  
“Don’t _kneel!”_ Edge frowned at his knees, half twisting to straighten them out himself, “It’s just going to...” He paused, closing his eyes as he tried to think of the right word, “ _Amortiguar._ ”  
  
  
“Huh?”  
  
  
“ _Sit down normally!_ ” Stretch caught himself on his arm before he could be knocked over, grudgingly sitting with his legs crossed. He didn’t actually know what Edge was talking about, but fine. _Fine_. He would sit like this instead.  
  
  
“What next?”  
  
  
“Third, have the non-pregnant parent put both hands directly over the Souling, resting on the magical womb-“ Edge paused when his husband did so, obviously a little unused to the feeling, but continued on almost immediately, “Later sessions may not need physical contact, but transmission of green magic is more effective this way.”  
  
  
Nodding quickly, Stretch kept his fingers outstretched and rigid, just barely touching the ectostomach. Staring at little Souling like this, small and helpless, was more than a little overwhelming. This was the first time in this whole entire process that Pancake actually _needed_ something from him. And he could seriously mess them _and_ Edge up if he screwed up. And it was so, so easy to mess up-  
  
  
“ _Papí?_ ” Edge called again, all previous irritation gone as he looked up at him with vague concern, “Are you-?”  
  
  
“Ok? Kinda sorta,” Stretch tried to force a smile, but the jittery energy in his soul just made him want to jump up and pace or do jumping jacks or _something_. He had given up smoking over two years ago, but he had never wanted one so _badly_ before. “I’m super nervous so terrified of messing up that I kinda don’t want to do this at all, but I feel if we don’t do it now I’ll never be able to do it in the future, and I actually really want to be able to do this because Pancake isn’t asking me for very much and it’s not like it’s hard or anything so this is actually really dumb-“  
  
  
He was _absolutely_ in the worst part of his parentMOOD, but every rationalization he mumbled was buried under the overwhelming sense of panic and fear. This was way too much responsibility for an unreliable, no-good guy like him-  
  
  
“It’s okay, _Papí,_ ” Edge was pulling him down into a hug, gently petting the back of his skull, “You’re overthinking too much, _mi amor._ ”  
  
  
Heh. Edge didn’t whip out that pet name very often, and his SOUL swelled with affection. Stretch flopped onto his side, guiltily enjoying the comfort and reassurances he didn’t deserve.   
  
  
“You _can_ do this,” Edge told him in that stern-tone his hubby always slipped into when he was trying to be encouraging, “You practiced with Undyne, and it was correct! And you are very good with your magic in everything else!”  
  
  
“Yeah?” He asked quietly, closing his eyes with a sigh, “What if I mess up or don’t do it well? I don’t want to disappoint you or Pancake...”  
  
  
“Why do you think that?” He could feel Edge move more than see him, gentle fingers even more soothing as they moved onto his neck bones, “You have always accomplished when I needed you before, so why would you start disappointing me now? And Pancake is a Souling. They won’t know if you do it wrong or right, only that it’s _you-_ “  
  
  
Oh! _That’s right!_ Pancake wouldn’t have any other point of comparison! They were going to think he was awesome at this by default!! A dash of encouragement, the reassurance that this wasn’t high stakes, and suddenly Stretch felt like he could do _anything_.   
  
  
Scrambling back into a sitting position, he put his hands over the Souling again. Focusing his thoughts on healing and positivity, he drew on his magic and concentrated it at his fingertips.   
  
  
Healing had never been particularly dramatic before- just a little green tint to his hands and feeling a little tired, at worst. So Pancake shouldn’t have started _shining_.  
  
  
“Jeez, _Pancake-_ “ Stretch closed his sockets, turning his face away from the bright light to no avail. This was like sunlight hitting the snow kinda searing, and he didn’t even have eyeballs! “Edge, are you okay? Is this a bad sign? I’m gonna stop-”  
  
  
“ ** _Don’t_ **stop!” Edge’s voice came out muffled, like he had a pillow over it or something, “They need to ‘configure’ your magic so they can process it better. They will stop soon.”  
  
  
It took a small eternity until Pancake was satisfied, and Stretch tried to blink the stars from his eyes unsuccessfully. “So that was step four, right?”  
  
  
“...Yes,” Edge answered at length, finally moving the pillow off his face and worrying at his ruined socket. He waved Stretch off before he could ask about it, pointing to the spot just off to the side of his husband’s hands, “Now just look at that, uh, column?”  
  
  
“Are you okay?” He couldn’t help asking, tension in his soul still tight as he dutifully looked down at... a little load bar. Well, kinda. It was a definitely a thin little rectangle just over the Souling, but it was filled with a gradient of red on the edges and green in the middle. There was a little gray arrow over it, looking like it wasn’t active yet.   
  
  
“Fourth... bla bla bla, _pendejadas-_ “ Edge pulled up the PregHUD again, scrolling down with an almost bored expression, “Light... yes, ok, here-“ He cleared his throat, still unconsciously worrying at his scar, “In order to optimize the amount and rate which green magic is administered, the non-pregnant parent should follow the- I don’t know this word. _That_.” He pointed at the bar/column/meter display. “It will reflect the amount of magic being administered and the rate of absorption. The green magic session functions like a mini game-“  
  
  
“ ** _What_ _?_ _!_** ” Stretch sat up, sockets wide and panicked, “What do you _mean_ its a minigame?! Is it going to be like at Dyne’s?!”  
  
  
Wasn’t this supposed to be easy?! Years and years of monster biology hadn’t gone wrong before, and suddenly, he was going to be the first monster who couldn’t figure this stuff out! Wasn’t this supposed to be instinctual or something, like a long lost memory that kicked in immediately?! How was he supposed to play this?! This was /nothing/ like the volleyball mini game!  
  
  
“Ok,” Edge sighed, closing the HUD and reaching out to pat him on the head like a dog. Whoops, he said that all out loud, huh? Despite the obvious affection in the gesture, his husband was stern, “ _Calmadito_. Just look at the thing- do you see all the colors?”  
  
  
“ ** _Edge_**.” He had no idea what game Edge was trying to play, but this was far from being reassuring. His eyes went to the bar instinctively, before locking back onto his husband’s face, “Dude, bring the thing back up. We _need_ the instructions! Come on, this isn’t funny-“  
  
  
“Are you looking at it?” Edge insisted, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly. He pointed at the bar with his chin, staring back with no indication he was going to back down, “What are the bad colors?”  
  
  
“Red means slow down, and purple is the off switch,” Stretch answered the question reluctantly, trying not to fidget nervously but failing anyway. “And green is the good color, before you ask. Bottom Line Up Front: Pancake gets the best, most green magic if I keep it out of red and especially not purple.”  
  
  
Irritation prickled at his soul, and despite his best efforts to tamp down on it, Stretch felt his tone become more snippy, “Is that good? I even used your dumb military terms! Are you happy now? Do I pass?”  
  
  
Edge didn’t seem impressed, giving him a sharp look that made him reconsider his approach. Right, okay, keep it together, man, keep it together. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Stretch smiled as sweetly as he could, “Can you bring the instructions back up now, pretty please?”  
  
  
“ ** _No_**.” His husband crossed his hands over his chest even tighter, unmoved, “You don’t **_need_** it. Follow the advice of your ugly grandpa frog and just do it.”  
  
  
...Huh? “My ugly grandpa frog,” Stretch repeated, completely mystified. This was a _bizarre_ pep talk.  
  
  
“From your **_movie_**!” Edge waved his hand impatiently, looking irritated as he tried to recall some more details, “He was the crazy one on the planet all by himself, with the mist and the trees! He hit the blond farmer and the trash can robot with the stick!”  
  
  
“... ** _Yoda_**?” Stretch asked, beginning to giggle incredulously, “Are you talking about **_Jedi Master Yoda?_** “  
  
  
“I don’t know!” Edge looked off to the side with a frown. Aw, man- it wasn’t fair. Edge gave him the **_best_** description of Yoda he had ever heard in his life, and he couldn’t even _laugh_. Because then his hubby would become self-conscious and he had obviously been paying enough attention to pick up those key details-  
  
  
Edge sat up suddenly, brightening like he remembered something, “Oh! Seagulls song! You know, his saying about **_not_** trying.”  
  
  
 ** _Stars and clouds above._** Definitely not nervous anymore. “Do or do not,” Stretch said with great effort, trying to keep from either laughing or crying, “There is no try.”  
  
  
“Yes! That!” Grabbing his hands, Edge gave him a reassuring squeeze, “If _he_ could turn the farmer into a brown pajama warrior in a few days, **_you_** can do this!”  
  
  
How the hell could Stretch argue with that logic? Giving his husband a decisive nod, he closed his eyes and concentrated magic at his fingertips again. It wasn’t as dramatic as the first time, but even without the searing light, he could feel the magic connect. Cracking open his socket, he looked up at the bar to find the little gray arrow was white now, fixed steadily over the middle. Experimentally, Stretch channeled a little more magic, delighted to see the arrow move towards the right. Before it could get too far into the red, he cut back so the arrow started going to the left.  
  
  
“It’s working! It’s _actually_ working!” Stretch adjusted his magic output, back towards the middle of the meter, and grinned down at his husband, “This is ok, right? It’s not uncomfortable or anything?”  
  
  
“You’re doing it!” Edge agreed, settling back against the pillow with a sigh, “No, I’m fine. How do _you_ feel? Is that too much?”  
  
  
“I’m good!” Stretch glanced up at the meter, afraid of moving too much and disrupting the flow of green magic. All things considered, this wasn't too bad! A little awkward and boring, but they could turn the tv or radio on next time. Maybe he'd put a pillow under his knees, or try to sit differently or something. _Next_ _time_ , they’d be better prepared, and hopefully the rest of them would be this easy, too!


	2. Green Magic Session: 1.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch is not as done as he thought he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've run out of my buffer, and I'm struggling with what I want to hit in this section, in what order, and how. :/ So, slower updates for now, but I will get through this story! >:D One way or another!
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience and support! I really appreciate all the love you've shown the RVR! <3

Before Stretch knew it, the bar above the Souling gave a little ding and his magic was being forced back into his fingers. It was unpleasant and it stung a little, so he immediately stopped channeling green magic and let his hands drop. But even the lingering discomfort wasn’t enough to dampen his mood.   
  
  
“They’re done!” He turned to grin at his husband, excited and energetic, “They told me they were done and I **understood** them! _I can do this!”  
  
  
_ “Good job,” Edge agreed, watching Stretch stand up and start shaking the tension from his bones.  
  
  
“That honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!” Still riding the high of success, Stretch stretched (hehe) his arms over his head. His shoulders were kinda stiff and achy, so he’d need to play around with the angle he held his hands and how he held himself. “I’m not even tired! It’s-”  
  
  
“Where are you _going?”_ His husband sat up abruptly, looking at him like he suddenly grew a pair of horns or something.   
  
  
“Um.” Shrugging self consciously, Stretch walked to the drawers that doubled as a side table. He made jazz hands at the collection of snacks on top, “Snack? I was going to get a snack? Celebratory snack?”  
  
  
“Oh.” Edge settled back down with a sigh, hands resting on his ectostomach lightly, “Ok. But then come back.”  
  
  
 ** _Awww_**. It was heartwarming to know that even when his hubby was stressed and grumpy, he still liked having Stretch around. Flattered and pleased, he made sure to grab three of those little on-the-go trail mix packets for-   
  
  
“ ** _No_**!” Edge shooed him away with one hand, shaking his head emphatically, “You are **not** eating on my **bed**! I don’t want your _crumbs_!”  
  
  
“I don’t get you, Babe,” Stretch put his hands on his hips, raising a brow bone pointedly. Still, he very obediently put the trail mix back where he got it, tearing open the bag of chips with his teeth instead. “You want me here? Or there? Better yet: what _do_ you want from me?”  
  
  
“Not me,“ Edge grumbled, exasperated, moving his hands so the Souling was framed by his fingers, “It’s _your child_! They’re still…” He hesitated, obviously unsure of what word to use before finally settling on, "Hungry.”  
  
  
Stretch chewed his mouthful of chips carefully, rolling up the top of the bag before fixing a paper clamp at the top. This was a hands-needed situation. “But.. they told me they were done...” He put the bag of chips back on the table, rubbing at his skull, “Did I misunderstand Pancake-?”  
  
  
“ ** _No_**!” Edge banged his hand on the bedside table loudly, maintaining a very distracting rhythm. Apparently very determined to stop this negative thought spiral before it could start, he waved Stretch over as he pulled up... a conversation log? Did Underfell monsters make a habit of keeping these? Why-?  
  
  
“The Doctor said,” His husband pointed to the archived dialogue box, tapping along every word as he read aloud, “The first session is **_split_** into **_many_** mini ones.” ‘Split’ and ‘Many’ were in a red font, which was unusual because usually monsters would go for yellow or pink, right-  
  
  
“Do you understand?!” Edge demanded, dismissing the conversation log with a haughty flick of his wrist, “That means you are **_not_** a failure! You just need to **pay more attention!”  
  
  
** “But I waaaaaas,” Stretch complained loudly and dramatically, letting himself flop onto his husband. Edge let out a startled sound, arm curling around the ectomagic protectively before eventually relaxing with a sigh.   
  
  
“I **was** paying attention! I know what Undyne said!” Stretch continued emphatically, face pressed against his husband’s rib cage. Edge gave a noncommittal hum as he rearranged his bones to a more comfortable angle, rolling Stretch onto his side. “But Pancake’s being weirdly cryptic and cagey! They made it _very clear_ they didn’t want anymore magic like three minutes ago, but _now_ they’ve changed their mind?”  
  
  
He sighed at the gentle petting along his back, relaxing reluctantly, “They didn’t get that from _my_ side of the family, that’s for sure. That’s all **_you_**!”  
  
  
Edge ignored him, gently turning his face to the side. Stretch couldn’t help himself, smiling despite himself as his husband’s fingers traced along his cheekbones. “How do I know for sure what they want?”  
  
  
“ _Pobrecito_! If _only_ there was _a program_ you check for this information,” Edge cupped his face, squishing his cheekbones together as he cooed sarcastically, “Something designed especially **_for you_** especially for **_this task_**.”  
  
  
“Okay, okay,” Stretch flexed his fingers, pulling up his PregHUD and staring at the first icon on the lower left of the screen, “I just thought this was supposed to be, like, an immediate connection. Like how you know what magic they need to eat. Why don’t I get to have a psychic connection with Pancake, too? That’s not fair.”  
  
  
“I don’t! I don’t know what they want!” Edge protested, shaking his head as the screen loaded. They both watched the little egg dance onscreen, this time with hooves,and onto the middle of the screen. Stretch hurried through its dialogue, waiting impatiently for his puzzle to load as his husband kept talking, “I use the thing! Everyday! Many times! __That’s how I know!”  
  
  
“Mmhmm,” He answered absently, reading through his puzzle again and again in growing dismay:

「Complete the Pattern!

❍︎♋︎■︎⍓︎

⧫︎□︎■︎⬧︎

□︎□︎♎︎●︎♏︎⬧︎

????」  
  
  
Huh?! What pattern?! He would have taken Edge’s word scramble **_any day_** over this thing! Stretch let out a sigh, tilting his head to look at it carefully. Two triangles in line three... two white squares in line two and one in line three...  
  
  
“Your puzzle is _not_ a shape pattern,” Edge tapped at the first string of symbols, ever sensitive to his shifting moods. Given how often _he_ helped Edge, though, his husband owed him a bone or two. (Or several...) “It’s a **_word_** pattern.”  
  
  
“Word?!” Stretch squinted at the puzzle, as though that would make the meaning easier to grasp, “There aren’t any _letters_ , Edge! My entire keyboard has been corrupted to form a bazillion of these weird symbols! And none of them make any sense!”   
  
  
He jabbed at some symbols that appeared in the puzzles, “Is something like ‘white square black triangle black circle astrological sign’ correct?”  
  
  
“Almost,” Edge shook his head, like he actually understood that nonsense, “Maybe... black circle, white square, big black diamond, small black diamond?”  
  
  
Sure, why not? Beat trying to type in every single symbols systematically until he figured it out through probability- “Oh, _snap_ , it worked!” How did Edge know that?! What was he missing?!? “What-?!”  
  
  
“You!” His husband interrupted sulkily, giving him an accusatory glare, “I _always_ am obligated to do something after my puzzle! Why doesn’t Pancake make _you_ do anything? **_That_** is an injustice!”  
  
  
“Sorry, Babe,” Stretch apologized automatically, still confused, even though he didn’t have any control over any of this either.  
  
  
“Maybe it’s just for now because I’m giving them green magic?” He offered, off-handedly, focusing back on his newly-opened app. It was like a table, with hearts on the left and little squares on the right. One square was filled in green with OK stamped over it, and there were another three to the right of that. “I’m sure once we’re in the next quarter, they’ll have me doing healthy stuff too, ten jumping jacks or something.”  
  
  
If the first square represented the first successful session, then the blank spaces meant there would be like three more mini ones, right? That didn’t seem so bad!   
  
  
“Just three more times!” He informed his husband cheerfully, putting his hands right back over the Souling, “Then we can go get lunch or something. Oh! And, do you mind if I try doing it lying down this time? My legs were getting kinda sore earlier…”  
  
  
“Of course, do whatever is comfortable,” Edge sighed, resting his hands over his head and staring up at the ceiling. His tone was a little odd, somewhat resigned but somewhat determined, too, “Pancake needs us to do this.”  
  
  
“Exactly!” Stretch wasn’t sure how he was supposed to take that statement, but he could guess that Edge wasn’t thrilled at the idea of lying here for a long time. Well, next time he’d prepare his husband a coloring book or puzzle or something. For now, he propped himself up on his elbow so he could reach over Edge and grab the remote control, turning the tv on and flipping it to the movie channel.   
  
  
Stretch didn’t recognize who the bald guy on the screen was, but he was surrounded by several tough-looking men in suits with a variety of weapons in their hands. Hopefully this action flick would be entertaining enough Edge wouldn’t be bored for very long, especially as the music started up again.  
  
  
For now, he just needed to wrap this up. And if it was as easy as the first square, it would all be a breeze!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Action movie in question is purposely vague, but I'm thinking its probably The Transporter with Jason Statham because that fight scene in the car shop, where he fights covered in car grease with the bicycle pedals on his feet, is so cool. That's peak action movie stuff right there.


	3. Green Magic Session: 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge is still pretty bummed about his PICPE, so Stretch does a little multitasking to get him and Pancake taken care of at the same time. He's really tired now though...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally bringing y'all an update... 6 months later!! Haha, whoops! oTL  
> I was really struggling with the sequencing of events and having too much fluff, so sorry about that! 
> 
> But not to worry! No matter how long it takes me, I'm determined to finish this story!!! 
> 
> Thanks for your patience! Hope you enjoy! <3

“So!” Stretch rubbed his hands together, putting them on his iliac crests after a moment, “How are we doing it this time? Just chilling on the couch? Should I try just using my thumbs this time or my face or something?” He started shifting his weight from foot to foot, trying to get rid of some nerves, “Too much? It’s the living room and not the bedroom this time, so maybe we should ease into it?”  
  
  
Edge looked away with a shrug, awkwardly fiddling with one of his small display pillows, “I don’t... know...”  
  
  
“Cool.” That made two of them. “Then I’m just gonna... sit next to you-“ Stretch sat on the couch with exaggerated care, scooching closer until their knees were almost touching, “And just... juice Pancake up. Without... using my thumbs?”  
  
  
Maybe he was thinking too small now? ...Baby steps.  _ Heh. _ Even though Stretch waited for his husband to nod his assent, Edge still  _ flinched  _ when the hem of his blouse was lifted up. The blouse was white with red and orange accents, mixed together like a swirl of watercolors. The fabric was too light and airy, totally inappropriate for the rapidly cooling weather outside.   
  
  
But it  _ was  _ pretty. It showed off Edge’s shoulders in a surprisingly delicate way, and it could double as a crop top, apparently, and now Pancake in the ectostomach was on full display. Ok. Stretch stopped staring when he felt his husband shift uncomfortably, stalling instead by rubbing his hands together so they wouldn’t be too cold.  
  
  
“If you’re doing that to electrocute me,” Edge eyed him warily, but made no move to pull away, “I’m not going to be happy.”  
  
  
“I’m not!” Stretch gasped indignantly, “Even if it did, it would be a  _ teeny  _ **_tiny_ ** static shock, anyway! Electrocute is  _ so  _ melodramatic!” That was actually a  _ lot  _ more insulting than it should have been, yikes, which meant he needed to get this over with ASAP, “Okay! I’m just! I’m gonna do it!”   
  
  
Super anticlimactically, he put his hands right over Pancake, concentrating magic on his fingertips. He focused on healing, green magicy thoughts, and soon enough, the now-familiar meter appeared above the Souling. The Souling’s permaglow became just a little brighter and a little greener. Maybe Undyne was right and he  _ was  _ getting the hang of it, because it didn’t seem to require his complete, undivided attention anymore.  
  
  
“So...” Stretch didn’t know what to say, but just sitting next to Edge in silence was way too awkward. He had to stop checking the bar every few seconds, anyway, for his own peace of mind, “How you doin’? Got anything on your mind?”  
  
  
“What...” It wasn’t often Edge was hesitant, so it was more than a little startling to hear his voice so timid, “What are you going to eat for lunch?”  
  
  
“Um...” He honestly hadn’t thought about it, and wasn’t sure what the right answer was. Edge was still in a weird mood over his new PICPE cooking skills, and the last thing Stretch wanted to do was make him even  _ more  _ self-conscious about it.  
  
“I don’t know,” He started neutrally, shrugging as he forced himself to keep his eyes on Edge, “We’ve still got a slice or two of that lasagna left, so maybe I’ll just polish that off.”   
  
  
When Edge didn’t say anything, but his mouth quirked into an expression of distaste, Stretch cautiously asked, “Is there something  _ else  _ you want me to eat?”  
  
  
“Anything with green magic,” Edge shifted like he was uncomfortable again, “You don’t need to eat anything I cook. I...” He gave a strained sigh, “I’m  _ not  _ going to cook for you anymore.”  
  
  
“Babe,  _ please _ ,” Stretch was still afraid of moving too much when he was trying to give Pancake green magic, but he managed to shift enough to bonk his husband with his forehead, “Don’t say that-“  
  
  
“ **_No!_ ** It’s not good for you! You are giving Pancake  _ green  _ magic,” Edge punctuated that statement with a gentle squeeze to his wrist, catching Stretch so off guard he cut the magic off too early, “You need to eat  _ green  _ magic food.”   
  
  
“I want to eat  **_your_ ** food!” Well, at least he was finally free to maneuver around a little more.   
  
  
Stretch gently pushed Edge forward, just enough to hook his leg around his husband and pull him into a backwards hug, “Please keep cooking for me. I like  **_all_ ** your food.”  
  
  
Not a complete exaggeration. Edge put his entire SOUL in his cooking, and dishes made with that much care and love went down easily. Even some of the more ‘make-do’ Underfell recipes, the ones with those weird cuts of mystery meat and even stranger human vegetables, still came out pretty good. Stretch honestly wouldn’t have eaten some of those dishes if they came from literally anyone else, even Blue. He’d eat seasoned  _ socks  _ if his husband served it to him.  
  
  
“It’s  _ not  _ good,” Edge admitted bitterly, leaning back into his husband’s embrace. “I  _ know  _ it’s not good. Even when I follow a recipe, it comes out weird and with too many different magics.  **_Always._ ** ”  
  
  
Oh no, this sounded like this was spiraling down into a breakdown. Or at the very least, a lot of bitter sulking. “I  _ wish  _ I could cook for you. I  _ like  _ cooking for you. But I  **can’t.** I’m sorry, Papí, I  **can’t** cook for you right now.“ Oh no, what should Stretch say to that?!  
  
  
“What are you apologizing for, huh? You’re a  _ great  _ cook, darlin’,” He nuzzled the back of his husband’s neck a little desperately, “You don’t need any green magic in your food to make it tasty.”  
  
  
“I’m not angry at  **_you_ ** ,” Edge shook his head, sounding frustrated, “So you don’t need to lie to me-“  
  
  
“I. Don’t. Lie.” Stretch tried to keep his temper in check, but damn if that accusation didn’t always get him all riled up. He felt Edge stiffen under his arms, clearly surprised at his dark tone, “When we got engaged, I  **promised** you I would always be honest,” He tightened his arms around his husband, turning his face to glower at the wall. “So you  **know** if I say I like your food and want to eat it, I’m telling the truth. So don’t say that.”  
  
  
“...Yes. I know.” Edge answered at length with a sigh, voice soft with an unplaceable emotion, “I’m sorry-”  
  
  
“No, it’s okay,” Stretch felt his dark mood shift into distress. What the hell was wrong with him?! He shouldn’t have said it that way, and he certainly didn’t need to trap Edge in place!  
  
  
**_“I’m_ ** sorry,” Stretch apologized helplessly, letting his husband go as he tried to scoot back, wondering at the trembling in his fingers, “I don’t know what came over me?! That was… wow, what the hell, Stretch, calm down man, it’s really not that big of a deal-”  
  
  
“No, you’re right,” Edge took his hand gently, pulling it across his chest and into a hug. He looked over his shoulder, interlacing their fingers as he said, earnestly, “It’s important to you. I  _ know  _ that. And, in the future, I  _ will  _ be more careful.”  
  
  
“Um, ok, but… I shouldn’t have...” Stretch flexed his fingers uncomfortably, feeling like he should argue this point… But it was a lot easier to just give up and move on.  
  
  
“Thanks. I know you will, darlin’,” Stretch tried to grin back, but it was probably more like a grimace, quickly switching the focus back on his husband, “And I understand, too. Cooking for me is really important to you-”  
  
  
Edge turned his face away quickly, shoulders tensing as he drew his arm back into his lap. Well, so much for this approach.  
  
  
“It’s, um, kinda tough. When you know something is really important to someone you care about, and you don’t really get it, but you know they’re hurting about it…” He hesitated, not sure how to phrase this delicately, “And there’s nothing you can do. So you just… try to support them through it.”  
  
  
Edge didn’t say anything, but at least he nodded tersely. Welp, that little outburst was a pretty clear sign Pancake needed  _ a lot _ more green magic, yikes. Shifting his hands so they were resting back on the ectostomach, Stretch gave a soft squeeze of warning. His husband  _ almost  _ squeaked, but seemed a little more receptive to the green magic this time.  
  
  
Which was super weird. Why had it been harder earlier? Not that it was easy this time, not like the first time they did this, but it felt more doable… like he was trudging against a fast current instead of up against the roaring rapids. Was it Edge? Was his husband’s glum mood creating a mental block that became a magic block? Emotions were at the heart of a monster’s SOUL, and Pancake was dependent on their SOULs, so maybe… Or was it him? Was he just a bad, uh, um, uh, Pa-parent? Did he just still suck at giving green magic? Yeah, probably, he was so bad at this, ugh-  
  
  
Still, the first possibility might be worth exploring a little bit. “Um,” Stretch started cautiously, trying very hard to gauge his husband’s mood from a 3/4 back view, “Don’t you think it’s a  _ little  _ fun, though? Cooking like… this?”  
  
  
Flinching violently, Edge turned to look at him incredulously,  **_“Fun?”  
  
  
_ ** Whoops, no good, this was a bad plan- “Um, I mean, it’s so! Different!! Like from how food usually is?!” He tried to backpedal despite it probably being a better idea to just keep quiet, speaking in a rush as his nervousness peaked, “It’s like, cool! You know? Flavors and magic compete with each other, creating a physical sensation of absorbing different magic, but there’s still, like, a different taste that’s unusual and pretty cool! Like, um, pop rocks! But for the soul!”  
  
  
Silence. That was a bad sign, oh no, a really bad sign-  
  
  
“...Is it,” Edge shifted uncomfortably again, voice carefully neutral, “Better? Do you like this more than how I cooked for you? Before?”  
  
  
“No!” Great job, Stretch. They should have just sat there and done this whole thing in silence! He was  _ such  _ an idiot! “It’s just  **_different!_ ** And I don’t think that’s necessarily a  _ bad  _ thing, you know? Like I said, I  **love** your cooking! In  **all** its forms! You’re great! Your cooking is great! It not being held together by green magic totally doesn’t change that!”  
  
  
“...Really?” Edge still sounded dubious, but like the hesitantly hopeful kind. The kind of tone that meant that Stretch was a  _ genius  _ and  _ totally  _ did the right thing!! “You want to eat my onion and beet salad with egg and blueberries again?”   
  
  
Stretch kept his expression serene as he nodded, smiling pleasantly as Edge scrutinized his face, “Yeah, of course! It had a bunch of food I liked!” Well, okay, that particular combination hadn’t been… very good for non-pregnant monsters who didn’t need to cater to a very, very picky Soulings needs. But they lived on the fifth floor, and the birds in the park next door needed food, too. They certainly appreciated the blueberries, and Edge loved hearing them sing every morning, so it was a win-win situation, right?  
  
  
“You would really rather have  **_that_ ** than a bowl of your Lucky Flakes?” Edge leaned back so his head resting on his shoulder, running his hand down Stretch’s arm absently, “Or the Trix Puffs?”  
  
  
Ah, that wasn’t playing fair, but fine. He dug this hole for himself, and in the grand scheme of things, it was a small price to pay. Before he could answer, Edge took his hands and gently moved them off his ectostomach. Stretch cut the magic off abruptly, not really realizing he had been doing it this whole entire time. Huh. Maybe Dyna was right and it did get easier with practice. He was  **_exhausted_ ** now though.  
  
  
“You’re so  _ weird, _ ” Edge teased, pulling him down for a kiss. Stretch felt too tired to really reciprocate, but then again, he was always happy to let Edge take the lead and do all the work. He leaned into the hand massaging his cervical vertebrae with a happy sigh. Casual affection was the  _ best.  
  
  
_ It turned into a soft moan as his husband worked his way down to his topmost thoracic vertebrae, finger’s sure and confident despite the claws. Stretch struggled to keep his eyes open, feeling like he was going to fall asleep at any moment.  
  
  
“Are you supposed to be this tired?” Edge asked him softly, gently pushing him down so he was laying on the couch. It was so comfortable... Had their couch always been this comfortable? “Sleep. I’ll make lunch… and order something for you.”  
  
  
“Mm,” Stretch sighed, wanting to say that Edge’s food was just fine for him, too, but it was way too hard. All he could do was lean into the gentle hand stroking his cheek as he slipped into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a special ask event over at the [ RVR tumblr](https://redvelvetreel.tumblr.com/) blog! 
> 
> It's Pancake's 1st Birthday, and they're celebrating with family and friends! :D There are some characters there who haven't shown up in the main story, yet, including some of Edge's Underfell friends! 
> 
> Please take a look! <3 And thanks so much, as always, for your patience, readership, and support!


	4. Green Magic Session: 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pancake needs magic at home, in the car, during meetings, at work! They're really draining him dry, like a little vampire. Hehe... heh...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got at least another update scheduled for next week! After that, uh, I gotta build my buffer back up. :.D
> 
> I don't think this chapter needs a warning, but it features:   
> A hickey, or at least the bone equivalent! Talking about the hickey! Chara being mad! Discussions of vampires! Stretch passing out again!

_ Knock knock.  
  
  
_ “Come in, Papí!” Edge called from the other side of the door, “I’ve been waiting for you!”  
  
  
“No,” Stretch sighed as he slipped his hand into his pocket, worrying at the lining and wishing he had his hoodie on instead. Work clothes were the  _ worst _ , “You’re supposed to say: Who’s there-?”  
  
  
Before he could even finish his sentence, Edge had opened the door and pulled him inside.  
  
  
“Next time,” Edge sounded impatient, locking the door behind him as he pushed Stretch towards the couch, “Pancake needs you  _ now.”  
  
  
_ “Oh!” Stretch wasn’t sure what else he could say, surprised when his husband impatiently pushed him onto the couch. He could only watch as Edge unbuttoned his coat and rolled up his shirt with the skill of someone who was used to constantly doing that. He seemed to have a system, but maybe he needed to get, uh, something less buttony? Hm.   
  
  
Edge didn’t even wait until he was sitting down, taking his husband’s hands and placing them on the ectostomach. He made himself comfortable on Stretch’s lap instead of on the cushions next to him, which was… new, but, uh, fine- “...All good?”  
  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Stretch shifted so his elbows were resting against his husband’s body, giving the ectomagic a squeeze before he started focusing magic to his fingertips. “Just a little... surprised. My Green Magic Pager didn’t go off when you called me- it  _ just  _ went off, like literally now- so I didn’t think Pancake would be so, uh-“ He bit back the word ‘desperate,’ afraid of making Edge even more self-conscious, “Eager. For magic. You’d know better than me, but uh, they seem to be getting… a lot more impatient, huh?”  
  
  
“Yes,” Edge agreed unhappily, automatically glancing up when the little green bar appeared overhead. He kept watching it with furrowed browbones, “I don’t understand.  **_I_ ** am impatient, so maybe they inherited it from me, but this is different from before. They are  **_desperate_ ** for your magic. They don’t want to wait!”  
  
  
“Really? That’s...” Admittedly, he had no idea if that was good or not, but it still made his soul feel warm and fuzzy. Pancake had been relying on Edge completely until this point, and now they  _ wanted _ **_him._ ** They  _ needed  _ **_him.  
  
  
_ ** “Well, no need to worry, baby,” He couldn’t give the Souling a kiss at this angle, so he gave them a little squeeze instead, “Papa’s got you covered.”  
  
  
Uh. That title  _ still  _ felt really weird awkward to say out loud, and Edge’s weird, delighted expression was doing something funny to his soul. Unsure if it was a good funny or a bad funny, and still incredibly self conscious, Stretch tried to duck his face against his husband’s collarbone.  
  
  
“No!” Edge pushed him back gently but firmly, putting a hand over Stretch’s mouth. He leaned in to whisper coyly against his acoustic meatus, “Your kisses get me in too much trouble!”  
  
  
That was a weird accusation, but a great distraction! Stretch just blinked, arching a brow bone in question since his mouth was still covered.   
  
  
“Mmhmm,” Edge used his free hand to arrange his collar more neatly, exposing more of his neck. He brushed his hand against a collection of small bruises, lingering on the largest, highest one, “I covered it with mineral oil and talcum, and I was wearing my scarf! I don’t know how but the youth club children  _ still  _ noticed it!”  
  
  
...Ah. Very awkward. Did those kids even know what a hickey was? They were like, what, 8? 12 at most? Well... maybe they didn’t recognize the equivalent on bone? Stretch felt his cheeks heat up in mortified embarrassment.  
  
  
“They had no idea what it was!” His husband finally freed his mouth with a laugh, draping his arms loosely around Stretch’s neck, “I told them to leave it alone, it was  **_my_ ** business, but no! Those  _ guambras-” _ He started laughing again, shoulders shaking with his mirth, “They think it’s a vampire bite!  _ You _ are a vampire now!”  
  
  
“Seriously?!  _ Me?” _ His husband’s joy was contagious, and he found himself laughing along,  _ “You’re _ the one with  _ fangs  _ and the  _ black wardrobe _ , and  **I’m** the vampire?!”  
  
  
“I  _ know-!”  _ Edge tensed suddenly, one hand quickly curling around his husband’s wrist, _“Ay, Papí,”_ he breathed out, shifting uncomfortably like he was in pain, “Too much-”  
  
  
“Sorry, sorry,” Stretch had to focus on the overhead bar a little more now, his good mood translating into an outburst of magic that was skirting the red part, “Is that better?”  
  
  
“Yes,” Edge sighed, fiddling with the cuff of Stretch’s uniform, “You are not mad, are you?   
  
  
“Mad? About the vampire thing? Of course not! This is _fang_ tastic!” Stretch grinned, thinking of a hundred ways he could act more like a vampire and really keep those kids entertained, “Next time I stop by, I’ll make sure I’m only drinking red kool aid. Allie’s weird supplement powder makes drinks look  _ really  _ viscous... And I’ll make sure to bring an umbrella with me, and use it in the sunlight! Hiss away from garlic, the works!”  
  
  
“They would enjoy!” Edge agreed excitedly, but his enthusiasm quickly waned, “But.. maybe you should wait a little before you come. Chara...” He trailed off, frowning as he tried to phrase it delicately, “They are... not happy... And I think they will try to stab you with a wooden stake.”  
  
  
Right. Stretch’s good mood soured immediately, letting out an annoyed huff as he shook his head, “Yeah, figures. They ruin  **_everything.”  
  
  
_ ** “Don’t say that,” Edge sighed, shifting uncomfortably as he glanced up at the green meter. Yeah, whoops, he had to mind his emotions when he was doing this. Stretch tried to shake the negativity away, but it was hard to stay positive as his husband kept talking, “They were very worried and wanted to protect me. It is actually very cute!”  
  
  
That was absolutely  _ not  _ cute, but Edge had pretty warped perceptions about these kinds of things.  
  
  
“I tried to explain that you didn’t hurt me,” Edge didn’t so much as flinch under Stretch’s dubious look, meeting it evenly, “That it wasn’t… bad,” He suddenly looked away, cheeks coloring in embarrassment as he lowered his voice, “That... I  _ wanted  _ you to do that...”  
  
  
...Heh.  _ Well then.  
  
  
_ “But they didn’t want to listen,” That blush quickly faded as Edge looked down, trying to smooth down Stretch’s collar with a frown, “I know they don't like you very much, but it was... more? They were in a very bad mood before. Very angry, but also sad? Frustrated? I don’t know…”   
  
  
“Whatever,” Stretch shrugged, not wanting to waste any more energy on time on /Chara./ Not when he had just gotten the best little confession!  
  
  
“So… Mr. Bride of Dracula...” He nuzzled against Edge’s neck, breath ghosting against the mark without directly touching it. His husband shivered delightfully as he started kissing below it, “Anything else you  _ want  _ from me?”  
  
  
“So many things,” Edge sighed breathily, tilting his head upwards to give his husband better access to his neck, “But we’re at work.” Edge gave him a warning squeeze, gently shrugging him off, “I will tell you later.”  
  
  
Not a bad idea, Stretch was starting to feel awfully tired all of sudden. He glanced up at the meter, noting it was almost full. One last push.  
  
  
“Mmmkay,” He half-leaned against Edge’s face as he tried to keep his eyelights focused on the meter, wondering at how heavy his sockets suddenly felt, “At... home...”  
  
  
Stretch was distantly aware that the meter completion jingle was playing, but it was hard to pay attention to that when there were nice, loving hands holding his cheeks. It felt so nice...  
  
  
“Papí?” Edge asked, sounding somewhat alarmed as he struggled to push his husband’s sagging form off of him and into the couch, “Papí, what’s wrong?”  
  
  
“Nothin’,” Stretch tried to wave his hand but it just sort of flopped off the cushion and hung limply off the side, fingers trailing the carpet as he was pushed onto his back. He blinked at the ceiling blearily as Edge came back into his line of sight, looking worried as he put his hand against his forehead.  
  
  
He hummed and tried to lean into the palm, smiling sleepily. The exhaustion was clouding his mind like a fog, making it hard to think and even harder to speak.  
  
  
“Are you okay?” Edge’s voice seemed to come from far away, and he couldn’t open his sockets, no matter how hard he tried,“Your stats look okay... Mi amor, do you feel sick?”  
  
  
Had he been CHECKed? Huh, didn’t feel it.  
  
  
“No...” Stretch had never been good at resisting the siren call of sleep, but he tried, “S’tired...”  
  
  
Edge said something back, but Stretch had already passed out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks so much for your support! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3


	5. Green Magic Session: 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch learns a very valuable lesson about appreciating every single cardboard box his husband plops onto his lap...

“Dyna was telling us practice made perfect, and I’m beginning to understand what she means!”  
  
  
Stretch glanced up at the green magic meter overhead, more out of habit than actual necessity. He was already 3/4 of the way done, and he could  _ feel  _ it wasn’t going to be much longer now. Like he actually knew what he was doing, “I don’t need to stare at this thing and stress anymore! It’s like I just  _ know!”  
  
  
_ “Mm,” Edge agreed half-heartedly, staring at the clock as though he was waiting for something.  
  
  
“Okay,” Stretch sighed, now confident enough with his green magic transferring abilities to nudge his husband with his elbow without having to stop the magic flow, “What gives? You’ve been weirdly distracted and fidgety since you got home after your meeting. I could barely get you to sit down for this!”  
  
  
When Edge didn’t answer, just looked at him, he lowered his voice, “Did your meeting... not go well, darlin’? Are you upset?”  
  
  
“No! No, it’s not _ that-”  _ Edge sighed, lifting his husband’s hands from his stomach and forcibly breaking their connection, “Wait here for me-“  
  
  
**_“Ow!_ ** Why’d you do that for?!” The backlash of green magic stung at Stretch’s fingertips, and he shook them out as he watched Edge move away, “I was almost done! If you waited for another, like, 2 minutes-“  
  
  
“Surprise!” Edge thrusts a  _ surprisingly  _ heavy cardboard box onto his lap, cutting off his complaints. His husband hovered over him excitedly, pushing his hands into the box before he could get a good look at it, “Open it! Open it!”  
  
  
“Um,” Stretch didn’t understand where this sudden energy and pushiness was coming from, but he did as he was told. There were a lot of blank DVD cases with their names scrawled neatly in black, “Wow! It’s, uh, very... cool!”   
  
  
He picked one up, popping open the case to see a white disc inside. Great, this was looking like either a serial killer’s treasure trove or the resting place of hundreds of vengeful digital ghosts. What the hell kind of message was this supposed to be? He glanced up to see that Edge was still watching at him, a small but hopeful smile on his face like he actually thought Stretch would enjoy... whatever this was.  
  
  
“Thank you, Babe,” He reached up to cup Edge’s cheek, pulling his husband in for a dutiful peck as he forced a smile, “For thinking of me.”  
  
  
Edge blinked rapidly like he was confused, glancing between Stretch and the box with furrowed browbones. He made a noise between a chuckle and a sigh, sitting down close enough their knees were touching, “Did you read them?”  
  
  
_ Great.  _ Just the thing he was dreading to hear.  
  
  
“Yeah, no, any which one or-?“ He picked a random case up, looking at the label, “Fast and the Furious, cool! Cars are more your thing, but I can appreciate a fun action movie!” Thank the  _ Angel  _ it hadn’t been what he thought it was! He picked up the case directly underneath the first one, “Batman, hell yeah, I love Batman! Every movie is so good in its own way!”  
  
  
If these were legitimate movies, though, why were they in makeshift cases and blank discs? A new concern started worrying its way into his head now, and he cleared his throat a little nervously, “Um, so, where did you get these? You didn’t just... find them on the street or something, right?”  
  
  
**_“No!”  
  
  
_ ** Stretch winced at that tone, cringing as Edge reached over him to dig around the box, “My counterpart from the Vespuchian Federation lent these to me! And I would  _ never  _ bring home a weird, abandoned box I found!”   
  
  
He seemed to find what he was looking for, pushing a case into his husband’s hands, continuing his rant with offended conviction, “Why do you even  **_think_ ** that, hm!? When have I  **ever** given you  **_trash?!_ ** **Never!** I have  _ never  _ give you  **_trash!_ ** I only give you  **_nice_ ** things! And you act like I give you trash  **_everyday!”  
  
  
_ ** Yeah, okay, his bad. He hadn’t finished giving Pancake all the green magic they needed, so Stretch was still a little sensitive. Okay, self, no need to take that scolding so close to heart...   
  
  
“Read this!” Edge pulled him out of his negative thoughts by tapping on the lid, crossing his arms over his chest testily, “Read it and tell me if you still think it’s  _ trash!”  
  
  
_ “I  **_never_ ** said it was trash!” Still, Stretch did as he was told, “Star Wars Episode 11, Legacy of-“ He paused, eye lights shrinking as he read it over again. He turned it over in his hands, turning to look at Edge, “Wah-? Huh?! This!! This is!!”  
  
  
“Mmhmm,” It was impressive how quickly Edge could go from irritated sulking to smug preening, feigning indifference as he studied his claws, “Like I was telling you, my  _ counterpart from the Vespuchian Federation _ lent me these! They have a system where they send new movies to different military posts  **before** the come out on dvd.”  
  
  
He buffed his claws against his shirt like he was bored, “They need to send it to the next post by Tuesday,” he looked up with a sullen scowl, gesturing to the box with his chin, “But since you’re not interested in  **_trash,_ ** I can give it back to him tomorrow!”  
  
  
Okay, okay, message received loud and clear. His hubby was hurt because Stretch didn’t appreciate his nice, thoughtful surprise as much as he should have. Fortunately, he knew  _ exactly  _ how to smooth this all over.  
  
  
He made sure to put the Star Wars disc out of reach, just in case, before hooking his arms around Edge’s waist and dragging him over. His husband didn’t resist but didn’t help either, turning his face away petulantly as Stretch tried to kiss him.  
  
  
“Thank you, love of my life,” Undeterred, he nuzzled some kisses onto Edge’s cheek bone, making sure his hold was secure as he dipped him. His husband didn’t quite startle, but that grip on his forearm tightened as Edge finally looked at him, “You know me so well. I love Star Wars, I really enjoyed this movie, and would love to watch it again. This is a  **_wonderful_ ** surprise.”  
  
  
“Hmph,” Edge was still grumpy, but no grumpy enough to push him away or struggle upright.   
  
  
“I  _ love  _ it  **a lot,** like I love  _ you  _ **a lot,”** It was a little precarious, but Stretch managed to adjust the angle so they were (no) nose to (no) nose, “It makes me very happy, like  **you** make me very happy.”  
  
  
“I’m Fell! Flattery doesn’t work on me,” Despite his grumbling, he could feel Edge smile as he finally relented and granted him a kiss.  
  
  
“Is it flattery if it’s true?” Actually, this was pretty fun. His legs took some of the weight off his arms, the angle was pleasant, and he could keep Edge exactly where he wanted him, “And I mean it. It’s... great. It’s really great to know someone cares about you enough to listen to your interests, remember them, and then actively seek them out for you.”  
  
  
“Of course!” Edge looked vaguely uncomfortable, like he didn’t think he deserved the praise, shifting restlessly, “I am your husband! It is my job! If  _ I _ don’t spoil you with the nerd things you like, who will?”  
  
  
It was kind of funny. Here they were, married with a babybones on the way, and Edge  _ still  _ got flustered over soft, thoughtful gestures like this. As if it was somehow shameful to admit that he actually  **_liked_ ** Stretch and  **_wanted_ ** to make him happy.  
  
  
“Yeah. I’m sorry about doubting you. This parentMOOD gets me all riled up about the dumbest things, and it’s... yeah, my bad,” He sighed, trying to will the dark thoughts away. Stretch hadn’t finished giving Pancake their green magic, so it was no wonder his emotions were still all over the place. Now he was feeling incredibly affectionate and grateful, pulling Edge closer, “You  **_do_ ** spoil me, don’t you? How’d I ever get to be so lucky?”  
  
  
“You want to return the favor?” Of course Edge would latch onto that last bit, but Stretch could only shake his head fondly as his husband shifted restlessly again.  
  
  
“Yeah, I know,” Stretch sighed good-naturedly, putting his hand against his husband’s stomach. Edge gave a subtle twitch, like it was cold or uncomfortable. Whoops, “Pancake didn’t get enough magic and they’re still hungry. Let’s take care of them, and then-“  
  
  
“No, no, no-“ Edge pushed his hand away with one arm, using the other to push against his chest, “There’s no time!”  
  
  
“No?” Confused, Stretch eased them both out of the dip, letting Edge sit on his lap instead.  
  
  
“No, everyone is coming!” Edge patted him on the cheek like he would a dog, standing up and starting to tidy up the living room, “I invited all the other nerds to watch your nerdy movie with you! Comic, Red, the doctor, Slim-“  
  
  
Edge put the pillow he was smoothing down with a frown, turning to look at Stretch. “Slim is  **not** coming, because he is ‘busy,’” he sounded serious, crossing his arms over his chest, “But he said he would come  _ soon.  _ I don’t know what that means, though. What is he thinking? We need to be prepared...”  
  
  
“Um, okay,” Stretch didn’t understand why a social visit was making his husband so anxious, but...? “What about Pancake? They need more magic, don’t they?”  
  
  
“It’s sufficient, it’s sufficient!” Edge waved him off, moving the box off to the side and hiding it beside the couch. He disappeared around the corner, presumably getting some blankets and pillows from the linen closet, “I will eat a little green food, and if they need more, you can give it to them later!”  
  
  
“...But-” Stretch hesitated, not sure how to phrase how much he wanted to just get it over with  **now** . Pancake  _ needed  _ his green magic, and it felt bad to leave them hanging. Like he was letting them down.  
  
  
The doorbell rang suddenly, and both skeletons turned towards the sound.  
  
  
“That must be the pizza! Or maybe a visitor!” Edge had his hands full, so he used his foot to nudge his husband towards the door, “Go open it, Papí! I put the money on the counter!”  
  
  
Stretch still didn’t feel great about this, but... okay. They hadn’t had a movie night in a while, and it would be fun to watch Star Wars with the gang. And Edge has obviously put a lot of thought and effort into this surprise, so... he couldn’t let his hubby down by being weirdly mopey.   
  
  
Taking a deep breath and putting on his most winning, easygoing smile, Stretch braced himself for an evening of good movies with fun friends, and opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) The Vespuchian Federation is the Swap equivalent of the US! :'D It's America after Amerigo Vespucci, so I'm just using the other half of his name lol. 
> 
> Also! I'm having a special ask event over at the [ RVR tumblr](https://redvelvetreel.tumblr.com/) blog! 
> 
> It's Pancake's 1st Birthday, and they're celebrating with family and friends! :D There are some characters there who haven't shown up in the main story, yet, including some of Edge's Underfell friends! 
> 
> Please take a look! <3 And thanks so much, as always, for your patience, readership, and support!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for sticking through the RVR with me so far! <3 As always, I'm so very grateful you stopped by to read my story! Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews and comments! 
> 
> There's also an [ RVR tumblr](https://redvelvetreel.tumblr.com/) where I post sneak peaks, fun trivia, and artwork! Please stop on by!


End file.
